Forklift fork storage rack

ABSTRACT

A forklift fork storage rack is disclosed, adapted to form a stable, single or multi-tiered structure for securing forks. The stored forks can be easily accessed by a forklift for adding or removing forks from the rack. The rack secures the forks in parallel sequence on load bearing members. The rack includes one or more tiers for retaining the forks at different elevations. In this manner, variously sized and dimensioned forks, which may have different functions, can be organized into designated tiers and sections of the rack. The rack is fabricated from multiple members that join together to support a plurality of forks and minimize lateral movement, tensile forces, compressive forces, and instability for the rack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an apparatus for storing forklift forks, andmore particularly relates to a rack for storing forklift forks (alsoknown as tines).

2. Description of the Related Art

Forklifts and their accompanying fork accessories are well-known in theart. Typically, the forklift is a powered industrial truck used to liftand move materials short distances using variety of detachable forkswhich protrude from the forklift. Forklifts forks vary in weights anddimensions. Forks are rated for different loads at specific distances.Loads moved by forklifts often require specific lengths of forks tosafely pick and handle the load. Different forklifts require forks ofdifferent configurations.

Forklift owners occasionally stock a large variety of forks, placedrandomly on the ground, on pallets, and occasionally dangerously placedon pallet racks because operators lack a rack for organizing them. Bothstyles of forklift forks including hook on and pin on, vary in weightand in height at the machine end of the fork making them very unstablewhen disconnected and difficult to install on the machine by handsafely. In most cases standard hook on forks must be elevated to beconnected to the machine. Pin on forks are less commonly removed but areusually easier to connect or disconnect at ground level.

Forklifts with hook on forks have hooks both on top and bottom of theback of the vertical member of the fork. Hook on forks attach to the topand bottom rails on the lifting section of the forklift, with the bottomrail notched in a small section in the center where the bottom hook ofthe fork may pass through during installation and removal. The forks areinstalled by hooking the top of the fork over the top horizontal rail ofthe forklift with the bottom hook often off to one side or the other ofthe bottom horizontal rail notch, resting against the rail in anunsecured position. The fork must then manually be slid left or righthorizontally allowing the bottom hook to pass through the notch, andthen be slid left or right horizontally to its final secured position.

Forklifts with pin on forks have an eye or hole on the top of the backof the vertical part of the fork. Pin on forks are attached to theforklift by sliding a pin or shaft through the fork eye and through thelifting section of the forklift. The pin is often retained by bolts orother mechanical keepers.

When forks are placed on the ground they often must be lifted by hand toconnect to the forklift. This is a serious safety concern and may resultin injuries including fingers, hands, hernias, back, hips, feet andother injuries.

When forklift forks are stored on a standard wooden pallet similar tothose which are used in warehouse storage operations. The wood structuremay fail resulting in the forks tipping over sideways. The pallet cannotbe moved with lose forks placed on top safely, since there is no way tosecure the forks from tipping or moving. The benefit is that the forksare elevated and physically easier and safer to connect to the forkliftthan on the ground. In some cases newer OSHA ANSI standards have limitedthe tilt angle of the forklift mast; in these cases the forklift may notbe able to lean far enough forward to completely connect the top hook ofthe fork to the forklift rail, requiring the fork to be manuallyinstalled. Additionally the pallets do not provide any organizationalstructuring of the forks. This can be problematic when trying to locatea desired set of forks. Pallets generally do not form a stable structurefor supporting the forks.

When forklift forks are placed on pallet racks this method of storagedoes not address industry safety concerns such as the forks tippingover, being pushed through off the rack, problems inherent with handlingby hand, connection issues to the forklift while in the rack, andforward pushing forces from the forklift during connection. When theforks are placed side by side in multiple sets the desired set needs tobe pulled out approximately 2-6 inches from the shelf and the otherforks on the shelf in order to connect them to the machine. Without asafety retaining member (described in this invention) above the forksthey can tip off the pallet rack, or tip over sideways and then slideoff the shelf. This is very likely to injure the operator, coworkers orbystanders.

In some cases fork tubes welded to a frame are used to store the forkswhen they're not in use, whereby each fork rests in an individual tube.This provides an organizational structure. However, the fork tube addsother problems, such as the flexibility to store different sizes andweights of forks. This approach makes it difficult to align the machinein the proper vertical and horizontal positions to insert and remove theforks and to connect or disconnect them from the forklift. Thisdifficulty increases if the surface the forklift and rack are on may beat different angles, or uneven as often required for surface drainage.

Current methods and apparati are not configured to safely organize andretain a plurality of various forks, such that a forklift can easily addand remove the desired forks. It is therefore desirable that a fork rackbe provided that can be safely used by a forklift operator to installand remove forks from the forklift.

This invention/fork rack will increase safety for a forklift operatorduring the installation and removal of forks from the forklift.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need existsfor a rack for storing forks. Beneficially, such an apparatus wouldovercome many of the difficulties and safety concerns expressed, byproviding a stable rack for storing forklift forks constructed withvertical and horizontal member designed to secure and store a pluralityof forks in an organized manner and enable a safe selective, efficientaccess and connection to the forks by a forklift.

The present invention has been developed in response to the problems andneeds in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currentlyavailable apparati and methods. Accordingly, the present invention hasbeen developed to provide a forklift fork rack having a front, back,right side and left side comprising: a plurality of load bearing membersextending horizontally between one or more support members, verticalposts, and cross members; wherein one or more forks can be rested acrossone or more load bearing members; a plurality of retention membersextending horizontally between one or more support members, verticalposts and cross members, wherein each retention member is spaced above aload bearing member, wherein a slot forms between each retention memberand each load bearing member, the slot for receiving one or more forks,wherein the retention members prevent lateral movement of the forks; aplurality of support members, each support member extendinghorizontally, each support member disposed perpendicularly to the loadbearing members and retention members.

In some embodiments, the fork lift rack further comprises a plurality ofvertical posts affixed to, and rising vertically from, a lower supportmember. In other embodiments, the fork rack further comprises aplurality of horizontal cross members affixed to one or more verticalposts. In still further embodiments, each load bearing member and eachretention member may span one of a front and a back.

The fork rack may further comprise a plurality of tiers, wherein twoload bearing members form a tier, each tier for securing a plurality offorks.

The load bearing members spanning the back of the rack may be elevatedabove corresponding load bearing members spanning the front of the rackwithin the same tier.

The fork rack may further comprise a plurality of feet. The fork rackmay further comprise a pullout tool comprising a rod, a handle andfulcrum, the pullout tool for moving a pair of forks resting on the rackaway from a load bearing member to facilitate access by a forklift.

The pullout tool may be formed as one integrated piece. The fork rackmay be configured to be lifted and moved by a forklift.

One or more of the load bearing members and retention members may form acomponent, the component detachable from one or more vertical posts,support members and cross members.

The support members, vertical posts and horizontal cross members may bedetachable from one another. One or more of the load bearing members,retention members, and support members may comprise one or more of rods,bars, angles, square tubing, rectangular tubing, round tubing, ovaltubing, channels, round pipe, plates, and I-beams.

One or more of the load bearing members, retention members, and supportmembers may comprise one or more of metal, alloy, carbon steel, castiron, aluminum, stainless steel, carbon fiber, fiberglass, resins,elastomeric materials, composites, GFRC, wood, and concrete.

The support members may each extend outwardly from the vertical posts.

These features and advantages of the present invention will become morefully apparent from the following description and appended claims, ormay be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the advantages of the invention will be readilyunderstood, a more particular description of the invention brieflydescribed above will be rendered by reference to specific embodimentsthat are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are nottherefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the inventionwill be described and explained with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is an elevational frontal-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 1B is an elevational frontal-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational rearward-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an elevational frontal-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational frontal-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “anembodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature,structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodimentis included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus,appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” andsimilar language throughout this specification may, but do notnecessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics ofthe invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details areprovided to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of theinvention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, thatthe invention may be practiced without one or more of the specificdetails, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. Inother instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are notshown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of theinvention.

FIG. 1A is an elevational frontal-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack 100 in accordance with the present invention. The rack100 comprises feet 102 a-d, cross members 106 a-b, and load bearingmembers 108 a-f.

The rack 100 comprises multiple members, junctions, and organizationalspacing configured to receive a plurality of forks in an organizedmanner, and to stabilize the rack 100 against lateral movements, tensileforces, compressive forces, and instability while a forklift (not shown)racks or removes the forks, or while the rack 100 is lifted fortransport. The rack 100 is sufficiently rigid to support a plurality offorks and withstand constant agitation from forklifts; and thus, may bemanufactured from a rigid material, including, without limitation,steel, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, metal alloys, polymers, wood,carbon-fiber, and the like.

FIG. 1A illustrates a frontal perspective view of the rack 100 inaccordance with the present invention. The rack 100 comprises at leastfour vertical posts 158 a-d (some shown in FIG. 1B) arranged to form afront, back, left side and right side. In one embodiment, the posts 158a-f form generally rectangle or quadrilateral from an upper perspectiveview. Each post 158 extends in a substantially vertical direction from aground surface. Those skilled in the art will recognize that thecapacity of the forklift to raise and lower the forks for racking andremoval allows the posts 158 to have a height at least equivalent to themaximum lifting height of the forklift.

The rack 100 may include at least one load bearing member 108 thatextends horizontally between support members 114, vertical posts 158, orcross members 106 on each side of the rack 100. The load bearing members108 and the vertical posts 158 may be welded or bolted together, overlayone another, or may be fastened through various fasteners at a junction.In many embodiments, the load bearing members 108 and the vertical posts158 are affixed at right angles (i.e. 90 degree angles) to one another.The load bearing members 108 bear most of the direct weight from theforks.

In one embodiment, a pair of load bearing members 108 position onopposite sides of the rack 100. The forks align in parallel sequencealong the pair of load bearing members 108. Furthermore, the multipleload bearing members 108 can be positioned at different elevations onthe rack 100, forming multiple tiers of load bearing members 108 tosupport the forks. In the shown embodiment, three tiers of parallel loadbearing member 108 support three sets of forks. However, any number oftiers may be used.

FIG. 1B is an elevational frontal-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack 150 in accordance with the present invention. The rack150 comprises retention members 152 b-c, a load bearing member 108 c, asupport member 114 a, vertical posts 158 a-b, a cross member 106 b, astiffener 156 b, and left side 160.

Retention members 152 interconnect vertical posts 158 parallel to, andabove, corresponding load bearing members 108. These retention members152 may be interconnected with the load bearing members 108 at thevertical post 158.

The retention members 152 prevent upward and lateral movement toward theback of the rack by the forks resting on the load bearing members 108.

The rack 150 comprises an upper cross member 106 b extendinghorizontally between the front and back between vertical posts 106. Theupper cross members 106 provide structural integrity to a top of therack 100. The cross member 106 can especially be beneficial to restricttorqueing forces on the rack 150 when the forklift engages the rack 150.Additionally, the cross member 106 helps support the weight of the forks200, which can destabilize the rack 100. Retention members 152 may beconnected to the cross members 106.

The rack further comprises support members 114 extending horizontallybetween the front of back of the rack 150 and the vertical posts 158.The support member 114 serves the same structural strengthening capacityas the upper cross member 106, but along a bottom of the rack 150.

As referenced in FIG. 2, the rack 200 comprises at least one retentionmember 110 spaced above at least one load bearing member 108. Theretention members 152 helps balance the forks against the load bearingmember 108. A slot forms between each retention member 152 and each loadbearing member 108. The slot is generally sized and dimensioned toreceive the forks for racking and removal. The retention members 152extends along the front or back of the rack 100.

In various embodiments, the retention members 152 and load bearingmembers 108 which span the front of the rack 100 are disposed at adifferent elevation above the ground than corresponding retentionmembers 152 and load bearing members 108 spanning the back of the rack100.

FIG. 2 is an elevational rearward-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack 200 in accordance with the present invention. The rack200 comprises a retention member 152 a, a retention member 152 e, a back164, and forks 202 a-d.

The forks 202 are shown in this figure. As shown, the forks 202 restacross parallel load bearing members 108, one load bearing member 108 onthe front of the rack 200 and one load bearing member 108 on the back ofthe rack 200.

As racking and removing of the forks 202 progresses, the subsequentengagement between the forklift and the rack 300 tends to warp, contort,or strain the vertical posts 106 a-d and the load bearing member 108causing pressure to be exerted at the junctions. For this reason, thecross members 106 and the vertical posts 158 may be reinforced with atleast one stiffener 156.

As shown in some embodiments, the rack 150 may include at least onesupport member 114 extending horizontally under posts 158. The supportmember 114 is oriented perpendicularly to the load bearing member 108.The support members 114 may extend further outward than the load bearingmember 108. The support members 114 also provide an additional level ofstability to the rack 150.

FIG. 3 is an elevational frontal-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack 300 in accordance with the present invention. The rack300 comprises a plurality of forks 202, each fork 202 comprising a forkback 306, the fork back 306 comprising an upper hook 302 a lower hook304. The rack 300 comprises a right side 162.

All of the components of the rack 300 may be affixed together usingwelded joints, bolts, screws, magnets, nails, gusset plates, and thelike. These components may include, without limitation, bar stock, angleiron members, I-beams, and generally rectangular-shaped members havingflanges. These components may include or define apertures drilledthrough the members and posts 106 a-118 b for fastening them together.In one embodiment, the rack 200 is configured to fasten to a mountingstructure (not shown). In other embodiments, the rack 300 is configuredto be lifted and moved by the forklift.

In one embodiment, each of the plurality of forks 202 includes avertical fork section oriented substantially perpendicular to thehorizontal fork section. The vertical fork sections rests against aretention member 152, balancing against the adjacent load bearing member108 positioned on the front or back of the rack 300. The forklift mateswith the vertical fork back 306 to rack or remove the forks 202. Variousfork fastening mechanisms, such as a spring tensioned clamp, may be usedto lock, clamp, rail and pin, may be used to lock and detach the forks202 from the forklift.

The rack 300 provides a structurally stable and safe fork rack thatstores and secures a plurality of forks 202 for a forklift in anapproximately parallel sequence and optionally at elevated tiers toenhance the safe organization of the forks and enable selective accessand connection to the forks by a forklift.

The rack 300 a multi-tiered structure that is easily accessed by aforklift for inserting or removing a plurality of forks. Additionally,the rack may comprise one or more tiers for retaining the forks atdifferent elevations. In this manner, variously sized and dimensionedforks, which may have different functions, can be organized intodesignated tiers and sections along the forklift side of the rack. Thiscan be useful in industrial or rental settings where multiple forks orforklift sizes are utilized.

The rack 300 comprises multiple approximately vertical, horizontal, andoptional angled members joined together in various directions to formstrategic junctions. The members are comprised of different dimensionseffective for stabilizing the rack against lateral movements, tensileforces, compressive forces, and instability while the forks are insertedor removed, or while the rack is lifted for relocating. These membersmay be formed from metallic or polymeric substances. Additionally, therack 300 may be configured to receive the forks directly onto horizontalmembers, such that individual fork tubes are not used for retaining theforks 202. Rather than utilizing fork tubes, the forks 202 may restupon, and balance between a pair of rigid, horizontal load-bearingmembers 108 and a minimum of one parallel spaced retention member 152placed at a desired space above the fork. The retention members 152restrain the forks 202 from tipping over sideways, falling between thelower load bearing members, and assists the forklift with inserting andremoving forks 202 from the fork rack. In cases where an optional secondretention member 152 is utilized at a distance parallel to anotherretention member 152 and also above the forks, this will increase safetywhen forks 202 are slid out a short distance from the rack 300 to beconnected to the forklift, by retaining the forks 202 in a way to keepthem from tipping backwards and sliding out of the rack 300.

The load bearing members 108 bear a substantial amount of weight fromthe forks. In one embodiment, a pair of load bearing members 108positioned on the front and back distribute the center of gravitybetween them depending on the forks length and weight. The forks 202align in parallel sequence along the pair of load bearing members 108.Also, multiple load bearing members 108 can be positioned at differentelevations along the rack 300, forming multiple tiers of load bearingmembers 108 to support the forks 202. In one embodiment, two sets offorks 202 rest on two tiers of parallel load bearing members 108.

A slot forms between each retention member 152 and each load bearingmember 108. The slot is sized and dimensioned to receive the forks 202when inserted and removed from the rack 300.

Forks 202 comprise a horizontal fork section and a vertical fork section(the fork back 306). The horizontal fork section passes through theslot, resting on the pair of parallel load bearing members 108. Theforks 202 further include a back 306, oriented substantiallyperpendicular to the horizontal fork section. The back 306 rests againstthe retention member, bearing on the adjacent load bearing member 308positioned on the rack 300. The forklift attaches to the back 306 of thefork 202 when installing or removing a fork 202 from the rack 300.

The rack may further include at least one stiffener 156 extendingbetween a pair of junctions and two posts 158. The stiffener 156 may bedisposed between a cross member 106 and post 158. The stiffener 154 maycreate structural integrity for the rack 300 through a variety of anglesand junctions. The stiffener 154 may be affixed to either a cross member106 or post 158 at one end, and extend diagonally with the other endconnected to a support member 114 or post 158. The stiffener 154 isdesigned to withstand tensile and compressive forces imposed upon therack 300 by the forklift as it is inserting and removing forks 202, orlifting the rack 300 for relocating. The stiffener 154 is configured tohelp restrict lateral movement in the fork rack.

The support member(s) 114 may extend outwardly from the posts 106,either forward, backward, laterally, or any combination of these.

Feet 102 may be attached or integrated under the support member(s) 114such that the feet 102 engage a ground surface and support the entirerack 300 and the plurality of forks 202, distributing the load towardthe furthest point(s) away, from the horizontal center. When placed onsurfaces that have high and low spots, uneven cracks in pavement andconcrete, the feet 102 of a specific height may be needed to increasethe clearance of the support members 114 over the high points in theground surface, also ensuring proper weight distribution. One or morefeet 102 may be vertically adjusted to level the rack 300 relative tothe surface. In this manner, the feet 102 are used to adjust thestructure of the rack 300 to a parallel or level position relative tothe surface. In one embodiment, the fork rack 300 comprises two supportmembers 114 at each end and four feet 102, one at each corner of therack 300 or quadrilateral.

The fork rack 300 may be comprised of structural components including,without limitation to, rod, bar, angle, square tube, rectangular tube,round tube, channel, pipe, I-beams, plate, and other structuralcomponents known in the art including bolts, nuts and other fasteners insome embodiments.

The fork rack may be comprised of many types of materials including,without limitation to, metals, carbon steel, cast iron, aluminum,stainless steel, alloys, carbon fiber, fiberglass, resins, plastics,composites, wood, and other structural materials known in the art.

In some embodiments the structural components of the rack 300 maycomprise, or define, a number of apertures or holes drilled through thestructural components for fastening the components together to thecorner posts and other members. In one embodiment, the fork rack 300 isconfigured to fasten load bearing members 108 and retaining members 152as components to the end structures.

In other embodiments the load bearing members 108 and retaining members152 may be designed to interlock incrementally at adjustable heights. Byinterlocking incrementally this embodiment also facilitatesadjustability in the distance between the tiers of vertical forkstorage. In other embodiments, the rack comprisesincrementally-increasing in height apertures spaced apart to allowingbolts to be used to fasten the load bearing members 108 and retainingmembers 152 to the posts 158. In other embodiments the structuralcomponents may be designed to be assembled from smaller parts allowingfor more compact shipping, recognizing that these parts may also beassembled to an increased height where multiple vertical components arestacked or joined together to reach a desired height. Support members114, vertical posts 158, and cross members 106 may be assembled as acomponent for use as a left, center, or right end component,facilitating the ability to add sections onto an existing rack.

In some embodiments for lateral stability considering the overall heightof the fork rack 300, the fork rack 300 is designed to be secured to afoundation by use of mounting brackets, feet with holes, anchor bolts,or other methods know in the art. In other embodiments the back or sidesof the fork rack 300 may be secured to an existing structure giving itlateral stability.

However, in other embodiments, the fork rack 300 may be configured to belifted and moved by a forklift. In some cases the fork rack 300 may beloaded with forks 202, adding weight and changing the center of gravity.Lifting and moving the loaded fork rack 300 allows for snow removal, andaccess to the areas behind where the rack is located. Moving the loadedfork rack 300 may allow forks 202 to slide out of the rack 300 resultingin a dangerous situation for the fork lift operator. In this situationsafety must be engineered into the rack to keep the forks from moving.Optional tie down points or other retaining methods know in the art ofload securement should be attached if necessary.

In one embodiment tie down points for temporarily securing the forksfrom sliding while moving the loaded fork rack or in seismic areas ofthe world are attached on the forklift side of the rack 300, positionedat an elevation to allow load binding products known in the art of loadsecurement to go across behind the back 306 of the forks 20, from onepost to the post on the other side. Tie down points would be multipliedby the number of tiers.

In some embodiments the horizontal members 108 and 152 of the rack areinset slightly from the post 158, facilitating a structural appearanceand leaving a recess to add optional tie down points.

In some embodiments the opposing horizontal load bearing members 108forming the same tier may be placed at different elevations causing theresting forks 202 to tilt back aiding in the ideal angle for connectingthe forks' 202 upper hooks 302 to the rail on the forklift. In someembodiments the opposing retention members 154 will be the sameelevation. In other embodiments the opposing load bearing members 108will be at the same elevation. In some embodiments the opposingretention members 154 will be at different elevations facilitating extraclearance while inserting the fork 202 through the slot that is formedbetween the load bearing member 108 and the retention member 154.

FIG. 4 is an elevational frontal-side perspective view of a forkliftfork storage rack in accordance with the present invention. The rack 400comprises a pullout tool 402, the pullout tool 402 comprising a handle404, a fulcrum member 406, and a rod 408.

The pull out tool 402 is configured to pull the desired forks 202 outfrom the load bearing members 108 to a desired distance for facilitatingaccess to the forks 202 by a forklift. The pull out tool 402 can bedescribed best as a simple lever or pry bar that forms a fulcrum againstany of the load bearing members 108 to move the forks 202 out away fromthe load bearing member 108. In some embodiments, the pull out tool 402will include a rod 408 on one side for hooking the fork 202 allowing thepull out tool 402 to pull the fork 202 when used as a lever. In thepresent configuration the pull out tool 402 will have a rod 408 on bothsides of the tool 402 allowing the tool 402 to hook two forks 202 at atime or one on each side, allowing the tool 402 to pull out two forks402 concurrently.

In the present configuration the pull out tool 402 will have a bend orangle change near the rod 408 used to hook a fork 202, thus facilitatingergonomics during use. The rod 408 will be located an appropriatedistance between the fulcrum 406 at the far end and the handle 404. Therods 408 on the sides of the pull out tool 402 may be made of manytypes' shapes and sizes of materials but not limited to round, square,or rectangular bar, pipe, and rod. The pull out tool may be made of manycombinations of types, shapes, and sizes of materials but not limited toonly one including, bar, pipe, cast, metallic, steel, aluminum,plastics, composites, wood, and other materials. In other embodimentsthe pull out tool may be 3D printed out of a single material, cast ormold injected with materials known in the art to be suitable for use asa tool.

In some embodiments optional hooks to hang and store the pull out toolon the rack may be attached to the rack 300.

In the process of disconnecting the bottom of the fork 202 inpreparation for inserting and removing forks 202 from the fork rack 300,allot of manual work must be exerted by an operator to slide theforklift the tip of the forks 202. With this manual work, operators maybecome injured in their backs shoulder, arms, hands, hips, and knees.

Recognizing this step as part of the process for using the fork rack,the rack may further comprise an optional fork slide and unhook tool forassisting in removing down pressure while sliding the rail forks left orright on the forklift rail and holding the tip of the fork up whileunhooking the bottom of the fork thru the notch of the rail. When usedcorrectly the fork slide and unhook tool eliminates the operator frommanually unhooking the forks 202 and needing to manually apply liftingforces with a body to free the fork 202 from binding while sliding andunhooking.

In one embodiment the fork slide and unlock tool is constructed of steelusing a pipe for the rail, and square tubes used as support membersplaced at or near a right angle to the rail with the rail connected atopof the support members. In another embodiment the fork slide and unhooktool is constructed of aluminum using pipe for the rail and I beam forthe support members.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its spirit or essential characteristics. The describedembodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrativeand not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicatedby the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A forklift fork rack having a front, back, rightside and left side comprising: a plurality of load bearing membersextending horizontally between one or more support members, verticalposts, and cross members; wherein one or more forks can be rested acrossone or more load bearing members; a plurality of retention membersextending horizontally between one or more support members, verticalposts and cross members, wherein each retention member is spaced above aload bearing member, wherein a slot forms between each retention memberand each load bearing member, the slot for receiving one or more forks,wherein the retention members prevent lateral movement of the forks; aplurality of support members, each support member extendinghorizontally, each support member disposed perpendicularly to the loadbearing members and retention members.
 2. The fork rack of claim 1,further comprising a plurality of vertical posts affixed to, and risingvertically from, a lower support member.
 3. The fork rack of claim 2,further comprising a plurality of horizontal cross members affixed toone or more vertical posts.
 4. The fork rack of claim 3, wherein eachload bearing member and each retention member span one of a front and aback.
 5. The fork rack of claim 4, further comprising a plurality oftiers, wherein two load bearing members form a tier, each tier forsecuring a plurality of forks.
 6. The fork rack of claim 5, wherein theload bearing members spanning the back of the rack are elevated abovecorresponding load bearing members spanning the front of the rack withinthe same tier.
 7. The fork rack of claim 1, further comprising aplurality of feet.
 8. The fork rack of claim 1, further comprising apullout tool comprising a rod, a handle and fulcrum, the pullout toolfor moving a pair of forks resting on the rack away from a load bearingmember to facilitate access by a forklift.
 9. The fork rack of claim 1,wherein the pullout tool is formed as one integrated piece.
 10. The forkrack of claim 1, wherein the fork rack is configured to be lifted andmoved by a forklift.
 11. The fork rack of claim 6, wherein one or moreof the load bearing members and retention members form a component, thecomponent detachable from one or more vertical posts, support membersand cross members.
 12. The fork rack of claim 6, wherein the supportmembers, vertical posts and horizontal cross members are detachable fromone another.
 13. The fork rack of claim 1, wherein one or more of theload bearing members, retention members, and support members compriseone or more of rods, bars, angles, square tubing, rectangular tubing,round tubing, oval tubing, channels, round pipe, plates, and I-beams.14. The fork rack of claim 1, wherein one or more of the load bearingmembers, retention members, and support members comprise one or more ofmetal, alloy, carbon steel, cast iron, aluminum, stainless steel, carbonfiber, fiberglass, resins, elastomeric materials, composites, GFRC,wood, and concrete.
 15. The fork rack of claim 6, wherein the supportmembers each extend outwardly from the vertical posts.